An Evaluation of Crisis Response Performance of Husi Food Co. during its 2014 Food Safety Scandal - Using the Situational Crisis Communication Theory

Abstract

By using the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), this case study evaluates the crisis response strategies adopted in the July 2014 food safety scandal of Shanghai Husi Co., Ltd. The company reportedly supplied expired meat products to fastfood giants (including McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King) in China and other regions of East Asia. The central question guiding the research is: did the crisis managers of Husi Food Co., Ltd choose proper response strategies to react to its 2014 food safety scandal? To address the question, the proposed study adopted a qualitative content analysis approach. The findings of this study reveal that rebuild response strategies used by Husi were appropriate for this preventable crisis. Some demerits in the performance by Husi Food Co., Ltd as well as suggestions for crisis management practitioners regarding the use of Situational Crisis Communication Theory in reality are also discussed.